Loom picker



- BACON June 1939.

LOOM PICKER Filed Feb. 23, 1938 3nnentor Hf/VRY M. BACON attorneys,

a'tented June 6.1 939 Henry M. Bacon, Dayton, Ohio, asaignor to The Dayton Rubber Mfg. Company, Dayton, Ohio,

a corporation{ of Ohio Application February 23,1938, Serial No. 192,115

15 Claims. (01. 139-159) This invention relates to improvements in loom pickers of laminated construction and more par- ;icularly to pickers built up of sheets of rubber- .zed fabric stuck together in layers while" in the mcured state, and then molded and vulcanized to produce a tough, elastic, solid and homogeneaus picker body.

Important objects of the invention are toprovide such a picker-of improved, durable construction, and to provide an improved method of making such a picker..

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter. In the drawing:

Figures 1, 2 and 3, are sectional perspective views showing different stages of picker manufacture according to the improved method;

Figures 4 and 5 are enlarged sectional perspective views showing more advanced stages of the manufacture;

Figure 6 is a sectional viewshowing a modiflcation of one stage of the manufacture;

Figure 7 is a side view of a bar of laminated construction from which a number of pickers are made, the severance of the bar into individual pickers being indicated;

Figure 8 is asectional view showing the molding of a pair of the pickers;

Figure 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of a finished picker, on the line 99 of Figure 10; and

Figure 10 is a bottom plan view of the finished picker.

In'the performance of .the improved method a plurality of sheets I are provided. These sheets are impregnated with a rubber composition in a sticky,-uncured.state.- Preferably. the sheets areof a length equal to the depth of quite a number of pickers in order that a number of pickers may be made simultaneously. The width of the sheets is sufllcient for a wrapping operation which will be described hereinafter.

The rubberized sheets I are superimposed and their' medial portions are bent or folded around a core 2 into a loop of approximately U-form, v as shown inFigure 1. The cross section of said core has approximately the size and shape of a hole which is to be formed in the picker to re.- ceive the picker stick, indicated by dot-and-dash lines atS in Figure 9. The sheets so folded extend materially beyond the U-shaped loop and their margins .3 are preferably left free, or unstuck, for a purpose which will appear hereinafter. As indicated at 4, one or more of the sheets may be doubled .upon themselves at the bend of the U-lo'op for purposes which will appear hereinafter.

Upon sheet I thereare placed a number of superimposed fabric sheets 5 rubberized like the sheets I. The sheets 5 are of the same length 5 "as the sheets I but narrower than the latter and they are placed'across the open side of the U- shaped loop of the sheets I, themargins 3 of the sheets I being left free, as indicated in Figure 2. Next, the sheets I and 5 are securely united by 10 stitching 6 which extends the length of the shets on parallel lines along opposite sides of the top of the U-shaped loop. Preferably very strong thread or even wire is employed in the stitching. After the stitching has been performed there are placed upon the sheets 5, superimposed narrow fabric strips 1 rubberized like the sheets I and 5.

" They are placed incentered relation to the U- loop and the lines of stitching 6 and they extend the length of the sheets I and 5. These strips are for the purpose of forming a filler block for each picker-and located between the picker stick hole and the shuttle impact face of the picker..

Having so associated the sheets I and 5 and the filler strips I, thesheets 5 are next folded entirely around the strips in the same direction as the folding of the sheets I in forming the U loop, and the opposite margins of the sheets 5 are completely overlapped as shown in Figure 4.

'Thus thesheets 5 form a complete transverse 3o wrapping for the strips .1. Next, the side portions of the sheets I which extend beyond the U loop are folded forward around three sides of the wrapped filler strips, and the margins 3 are overlapped alternately, or interleavedas shown.

Around the entire structure thus formed by the .sheets- Iland; 5. and the strips 1 there is foldedan outer wrapping comprising a number of superimposed fabric sheets' I rubberized like the sheets I and 5. These outer sheets are of the same 40 length as the sheets I but wide enough to enable theirmargins 9 to overlap and form the forward shuttle impact wall structureof the picker. The

margins 9 are preferably at: first left free or unstuck so that, like the margins'i, they may be 4 interleaved, asshown in Figure 5. The outer wrapping c0vers 'and protects the lines of s titch-' ing 6. Oneor more of the sheets 8 also may be doubled upon themselves, as at III.

A- modification of the outer wrapping-is shown in Figure 6. Here the wrapping is formed of a single wide sheet u of fabric rubberized like the -other sheets. Said'wide sheet is wound a number of times around the structure formed by the sheetsland5andthestripsl.

By the use of only one continuous sheet for forming the laminated structure of the loom picker, it is possible toproduce the built-up multi-ply structure more rapidly and thus attain considerable saving in the production cost. Moreover, by the use of a single sheet a more compact and solid vulcanized product is produced.

Whether the structure is like that of Figure 5 or of Figure 6 the assembled sheets and strips are stuck together by the sticky, uncured rubber and the structure forms a tubular bar, as shown in Figure 7. The core 2 is removed from this bar and the bar is then severed on transverse lines I I spaced apart according to-the desired approximate depth of a picker. Thereby a number of picker bodies are obtained. These are molded and vulcanized to the desired picker form and to the desired degree of hardness.

The picker bodies may be conveniently molded in pairs, as shown in Figure 8. Provision is also made for molding the front portion of the picker in a. manner to give it increased durability. For this purpose there is provided a tapered mold core I3 for insertion into the stick hole of the picker body. As shown in Figure 8, there are two of these cores borne by a bar or block I4 and protruding from opposite sides thereof. The cores ,andblock may be made of a single piece of metal. The cores taper away from the block so that they may readily enter the stick holes of the picker bodies. After applying the picker bodies to the cores the assembled unit of cores, block and picker bodies is fitted into a mold casing I5, fob molding'and vulcanizing the bodies undenpressure and heat. The cores, the block I4 andthe mold casing are correlated for molding the forward face of the picker and the for ward wall of the stick hole along divergent lines.

The core taper is so disposed as to mold the for the picker to the lower side, and the fore-andaft width of the forward portion gradually diminishes from top to bottom, as shown in Figure 9. Thereby the laminations are forced closer together at the lower front portion of. the picker and this gives greater density and hardness to the lower portion and adds to the durability of the picker, as will be explained'hereinafter. By varying the degree of taper of the mold core said increased hardnes may be varied to suit requirements. As shown in Figure 9, the forward face of the picker P has a substantially conoidal cavity I 6 to receive the nose of the shuttle. This cavity may be molded in said face by projections II on one of the-sections of the mold casing. After the picker body has been molded it may be cut away to provide a desired slope' I8 to its under side.

A loom picker constructed as shown and described has great durability. One feature of durability is the provision for secure retention of the filler structure. The fillerblock formed by the strips I and the wrapping sheets 5 for said block are securely held in a. continuous loop formed by the wrapping sheets I and 8. These sheets I and 8 form a strong, multi-ply wrapping covering the filler structure at front and-sides and also combining with the inner side of said structure to define the picker. stick hole. In many cases, owing to imperfect alinement in the wear.

loom, a picker will rub against a shuttle box and wear away a forward corner and a side of the picker body until the outer wrappings are worn through and the filler structure is released. My improved picker structure is designed to withstand much more of such wear and retain the filler in place. The entire thickness of the stout side walls of the picker stick hole extends around the filler and protects it, and the front wall structure is further reinforced by the overlapped margins of the wrapping sheets I and 8.

The tapered molding of the forward portion of the picker also contributes much to durability. In the majority of cases present pickers require the shuttle to strike below the center of the picker face. Consequently there is less material below the point of impact than above it and the picker wears out more rapidly below said point. My provision for greater density of the lower portion of the face block greatly increases the wear resistance of said portion and thereby lengthens the life of the picker. The portion of the block at the underside of hole I6 has much more wear resistance than the portion above the hole. Consequently the wear tends to travel and the hole, as it is borne deeper and deeper, tends to rise rather than assume a straight line toward the back of, the block.

' The back laps 4 and I0 add strength to the portion of the picker back of the picker stick 0 sometimes cuts the picker through. The additional plies provided by the fold-backs 4 and I0 enables the back of the picker to be molded to greater density in order to better resist said The fold-backs also facilitate proper molding of the picker. They hold up the mold core unit and prevent it from bottoming on the lower section of the mold casing with possible consequent forcing of the cores out of proper relation to the picker bodies. The cores are held balanced, with regard to pressure, between the top and bottom cushions and the molding pressure is substantially equalized along the lines of stitching E.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 142,598, filed May 14, 1937.

It is, of course, understood that my invention is not limited to the exact structure of the article disclosed and defined by the claims since obvious modifications within the scope of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A loom picker having a hole to receive the picker stick and comprising a filler block disposed between the forward face of the picker and the picker stick hole, a rubberized fabric wrapping folded around said filler block and forming the forward wall of the picker stick hole, and a multiple rubberized fabric wrapping forming the other walls of the picker stick hole and defining a loop surrounding the said filler block and its wrapping and forming the forward, shuttle impact portion of the picker, the picker being vulcanized and molded to shape. I r

2. A loom picker according to claim 1, characterized in that the said wrapping for the filler block is stitched to the said surrounding loopdefining wrappingon lines'extending along opposite side edges of the forward wall of the picker stick hole.

picker stick hole, and outer plies of the loop-defining wrapping cover the lines of stitching.

5. A loom picker having a hole to receive the picker stick and comprising a filler block disposed between the forward face of the picker and the picker stick hole and formed of plies of rubberized fabric, arubberized fabric wrapping folded around said flller block and forming the forward wall of the picker stick hole, and a multiple rubberized fabric wrapping forming the other walls of the picker stick hole and defining a loop surrounding the filler block and its wrapping, the picker being vulcanized and molded to shape and its forward portion between the picker stick hole and the front face of the picker being molded to greater hardness below the point of shuttle im pact than above said point.

6. A molded loom picker having a hole to receive the picker stick, characterized in that the forward portion of the picker between the picker stick hole and the forward face of the picker is molded to greater hardness and of less thick-, ness from front to rear below'the point of shuttle impact than above said point. 7. A loom picker havinga hole to receive the picker stick and comprising a filler block disposed between the forward face of the picker and the picker stick hole, a wrapping folded around said filler block and forming the forward wall of the picker stick hole, and a multi-ply wrapping forming the other walls of the picker stick hole and defining a loop surrounding the said filler block andits wrapping.

8. A loom picker of laminated and molded con- Y the picker stick, said disposed multiple sheets being mechanically bound to said filler block wrappings to form the forward wall of the picker stick loop and permanently position said wall in the body of the picker, and the whole being vulcanized to form a resilient unitary body.

10. A loom picker comprising a laminated rubberized sheet block positioned to form the base of the impact face of the picker, multiple rubberized fabric wrappings surrounding said tiller 3 block, multiple sheets of rubberized fabric disposed thereover and defining a loop for attaching the picker stick, said disposed multiple sheets being stitchedto said filler block wrappings at opposite sides of the filler block to form the forward wall of the picker stick loop and permanently anchor said wall to the filler block wrappings, and the whole being vulcanized to form a? resilient unitary body. z

11. A loom picker comprising laminated and molded construction having a picker stick hole and superposed plies of. rubberized fabric extended around the picker stick hole, and characterized in that one of. said plies is folded back upon itself to form additional layers of fabric back of the picker stick hole, and wherein the superposed plies of rubberized fabric extending around the picker stick hole are folded forward over the filler block coverings and the margins overlapped alternately, and the whole structure vulcanized under heat and pressure to form a unitary picker body.

12. A loom picker comprising laminated and molded construction having a picker stick hole and superposed piles of rubberized fabric extended around the picker stick hole, and characterized in that one of said plies is folded back upon itself to form additional layers of fabric back of sheet of fabric, and the whole structure vulcan- -molded to compress the plies closer together below the point of shuttle impact than above said point for providing greater hardness and "strength below the point of shuttle impact.

14. A loom picker comprising laminated and molded construction having a picker stick hole, a filler block of rubberized fabric sheets, and superposed plies of rubberized fabric extended around the picker stick hole and the filler block, and characterized in that one of said plies is folded back upon itself to form additional layers of fabric back of thepicker stick hole, and the whole structure vulcanized under heat and pressure to form a unitary picker body.

15. A loom picker having a hole to receive the 'picker stick and comprising a filler block disposed between the forward face of the picker and the picker stick hole, a wrapping folded around said filler block and forming the forward wall of the picker stick hole, and a multi-ply wrapping form-. ing the other walls of the picker stick hole, at least a portion of said multi-ply wrappingbeing united by stitching to the wrapping folded around said filler block.

' HENRY M. BACON. 

